Kitacon Quest 2017 Review
Kept you waiting huh?
If you’d rather watch than read:
Kitacon is a very special place to me. It’s the first convention that ever gave me a good push with my affiliations to Fita-4-Kita and with it being one of the best party cons in the UK it always feels like a special event when I attend.
Friday: Seeing people wearing my Chocobo Carnival tees is always super touching, the idea that I’ve made something good enough for somebody to wear fills me with complete joy. I met up with Shoes Photography for a shoot with my casual Goku, we attended the pub quiz, and we partied on until the early hours. During the party I realised just how many friends I had made during my time cosplaying. There was one point where I couldn’t actually get into the building because I was talking to so many people. Some of them were old friends and some of them were people who knew of me from my online presence. There were a few that told me that I inspired them to get in shape and loose weight which I’ll be honest, I felt incredibly proud of. There’s nothing like knowing that the work you’re putting out is making a difference, no matter how big or small it may be.
Fun fact: I never actually got out of Goku until we went to bed!
Saturday: A very fun day indeed, the first part of the day started with me attending the Fita-4-Kita panel as an attendee rather than a host for the very first time. It was a strange experience being on the outside but I left the panel in the very capable hands of Briggs, Calvert, and Tess who did not disappoint, it was a great experience. Later me and Nomes cosplayed our Lemur0 Goku and Chichi variants for the first time (naming them Broku and Bichi). For the latter half of the evening we went to the buffet so again I stayed as Goku but switched my shirt to be a little more family friendly. I defeated Calvert in a chocolate raisin chopstick eating contest, good times!
Sunday: Time to get NEKKID. My pal Jae was hosting the Bara Cafe and had enlisted me and a few others from the convention fitness community. What does the Bara Cafe involve? Kotaku describes it very well by saying ‘Hooters in reverse’. Women and men alike basically pay a small amount for a milkshake served by a fit dude who flexes on them whilst giving it to them. Some of the people paying where my friends which was pretty funny, and after I got into the swing of it I felt way less awkward.
At one point we all got into a plank contest and I think after what seemed like an eternity I got tired at 4th place. I’m pretty sure I could of held on for longer but planking is a very unique kind of pain. It’s not the worst pain imaginable, just enough that you notice it. And when it’s going on that long it can get pretty damn boring. It’s a mental battle as much as it is a physical feat. In the end the bara cafe had raised over £400 for charity which was truly remarkable. The power of the pervert within!
Finally, we went to the ball. My lovely Nomes got into her ballroom Meryl outfit for the first time and she looked gorgeous, I accompanied her in my very suitable tuxedo Snake cosplay. We got a few photos and I vaped my stock away. Y’know it’s funny, I haven’t smoked in years and I only vape nicotine free when I do but it NEVER lasts long at all. The habit to just keep toking is still in me even after all these years.
I got back into Goku and went to the final party. I got up on stage and said hi to co-chairman Iain. It was his last time before retiring from Kitacon and I had made him a custom print of his character Decker Dane as a good bye gift. We hugged on stage and went our separate ways, and the night ended with some chinese food with Nomes
With Kitacon, and any convention for that matter, I always feel funny reviewing it because the experience is always what you make it. As long as you can find a good group of people that you can spend the time with, it doesn’t really matter where you are.
That being said though, I preferred the venue at the Hilton! ;)